🗳️ The Digital Jim Crow Era Begins: 21 Million Americans at Risk of Losing Vote

Indigenous and Latino voters in the crosshairs of Trump's new executive order

Apr 02, 2025

😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾

🇺🇸✍️ President Trump signed a new rule that makes it harder for people to vote. 🗳️ Now, people need special documents like a 🛂 passport to register to vote, which many Americans don't have. 📜👎 Elon Musk, who runs a government department called DOGE, can now look at voter lists to remove people he thinks shouldn't be voting.

🚫🗳️ This will especially make it difficult for Latino, Indigenous, and Black communities to vote. 🤝🖤💛💚 Many people believe this rule is unfair and against the law. ⚖️🚨 Communities are organizing to help people get the documents they need and fighting these changes in court. 🏛️⚔️

🗝️ Takeaways

🚫 Trump's executive order requires documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, creating barriers for 21 million Americans who lack such documents
🔍 Elon Musk's DOGE agency now has power to review voter rolls and flag supposed "non-citizens" for removal
⏱️ Mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day will no longer be counted, even if postmarked before the deadline
👩 69 million women who changed their names after marriage may struggle to use birth certificates as proof of citizenship
📝 Legal experts believe the order is unconstitutional as presidents don't have authority to change federal election rules
✊ Communities can resist through documentation clinics, community funds, and supporting legal challenges
🔄 States may lose federal funding if they don't comply with these new directives

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Democracy Under Siege: Trump and Musk's Assault on the Vote

The new executive order weaponizing DOGE against voter rolls isn't just an attack on democracy—it's an attack on our communities

Last week, while many of us were busy with our daily lives—working multiple jobs, caring for our families, trying to navigate an increasingly hostile America—President Trump quietly signed an executive order that should alarm every person who believes in democracy. The order, deceptively titled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections," represents one of the most aggressive attacks on voting rights we've seen in decades.

And who's leading the charge alongside Trump? None other than billionaire Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been granted unprecedented power to access voter files across all states.

Qué locura. But this isn't just any attack on voting rights—it's a calculated assault with clear targets in mind.

What Exactly Is This Executive Order?

On March 25, 2025, Trump signed this sweeping executive order that fundamentally changes how Americans register to vote. The most alarming provisions include:

Requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections
Authorizing DOGE and the Department of Homeland Security to review states' voter rolls and purge supposed "non-citizens"
Blocking the counting of mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, regardless of when they were mailed
Withholding federal funding from states that don't comply with these directives

Let me be clear: This is not about "election integrity." It's about election suppression.

A Long History of Disenfranchisement

Our communities have seen this playbook before. From literacy tests to poll taxes, from gerrymandering to voter ID laws, the tactics of voter suppression have evolved, but their purpose remains the same: to silence the voices of those who might challenge the existing power structure.

What makes this executive order particularly insidious is how it weaponizes our immigration status—or perceived immigration status—against us. By requiring documentary proof of citizenship, the administration has created a barrier that will disproportionately impact communities of color, especially Latino and Indigenous voters.

Think about it: According to the Brennan Center for Justice, approximately 21 million Americans—otherwise legal voters—don't have access to citizenship ID like passports. Only about one-third of Black Americans and less than half of white Americans have passports. For Indigenous communities, where many elders were born on reservations with midwives and may lack birth certificates, this creates an almost insurmountable barrier.

And for the 69 million women who have taken their husband's last name? Their birth certificates won't match their current name, making them useless as proof of citizenship.

Este no es democracia. This is not democracy.

The DOGE Factor: Musk's Role in Voter Suppression

Let's talk about the irony here. Elon Musk—a man born in South Africa who became a U.S. citizen through naturalization—is now being given authority to determine which Americans are "legitimate" voters.

Since Trump appointed Musk to lead DOGE earlier this year, we've seen a systematic dismantling of federal agencies and services. Now, DOGE is being empowered to wade into one of the most sensitive areas of democracy: our voter rolls.

The executive order explicitly authorizes DOGE and DHS to access voter files and compare them against federal immigration records. This approach has been tried before—in Florida, a similar program flagged 172,000 people as "alien" voters. How many were actually convicted of illegal voting? One. A single Republican Austrian immigrant.

But thousands of voters with names like Garcia, Rodriguez, and Martinez lost their right to vote in the process.

This is by design. The executive order is building on programs like Interstate Crosscheck, which was struck down by courts for disproportionately targeting voters of color. As voting rights experts have noted, 90 of the 100 most common surnames in America are "minority" names. Any algorithm that matches names across databases will disproportionately flag non-white voters.

Who's Really Being Targeted?

Make no mistake about who this executive order aims to disenfranchise:

Latino voters, particularly those with common surnames
Indigenous voters, especially those born on reservations with limited documentation
Naturalized citizens, who may be flagged by database mismatches
Women who've changed their names after marriage
Low-income voters who can't afford the $160+ for a passport
Elderly voters who may not have the required documentation
Rural voters who rely on mail-in ballots

Gerald Griggs, President of the NAACP of Georgia, called it what it is: "Jim Crow 2.0 has roared out of Georgia and is going national."

We must also acknowledge the timing. The midterm elections are approaching in 2026, and Trump is clearly setting the stage. By restricting mail-in ballots and purging voter rolls, he's targeting the very communities that have been mobilizing against his policies.

The Illegality and Unconstitutionality

Legal experts from across the political spectrum have pointed out that this executive order overreaches presidential authority. The Constitution gives states and Congress—not the president—the power to regulate federal elections.

The Brennan Center's Wendy Weiser stated clearly: "This executive order is unlawful. The president does not have the authority to require this."

The order attempts to direct the Election Assistance Commission—an independent, bipartisan agency—to change the federal voter registration form. But the president cannot legally direct independent agencies in this manner.

Expect legal challenges from voting rights organizations and state officials to begin immediately. But we cannot simply wait for the courts to resolve this—the damage could already be done by the time cases are decided.

What Does This Mean For Our Communities?

For those of us living in the borderlands, this feels painfully familiar. The same administration that separated families at the border, built walls through our ancestral lands, and demonized migrants is now turning those same tactics toward our right to vote.

In states like Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico, where Latino and Indigenous communities have been building political power, this represents a direct attempt to undermine our voice in democracy.

Think about what this means practically:

Your tía who became a citizen twenty years ago but doesn't have a passport? She may be purged from voter rolls.
Your cousin who recently moved to a new apartment and needs to update his registration? He'll now need to produce citizenship documents.
Your abuela who relies on mail-in voting because she can't stand in long lines? Her ballot might not count if mail delivery is delayed.

For our Indigenous communities, particularly those living on reservations, this creates additional barriers. Many tribal members already face significant challenges to voting—limited polling places, language barriers, and complex ID requirements. This executive order compounds these obstacles.

The Resistance Continues

Pero no nos rendiremos. We will not surrender.

Our communities have faced attacks before, and we have always persisted. From the struggles of the United Farm Workers to the Chicano Movement, from Standing Rock to today's immigrant rights advocacy, we have a long tradition of resistance.

Here's what we can do:

Immediate Actions

Check your voter registration status now at your state's election website
Gather your citizenship documentation if you plan to register or update your registration
Help family members, especially elders, secure the documentation they might need
Contact your representatives to express opposition to this order

Community Organizing

Host documentation clinics to help community members access birth certificates, passports, etc.
Create community funds to help cover the costs of obtaining documentation
Organize rides to DMVs and passport offices for those without transportation
Train community members as voter registration assistants

Support Legal Challenges

Donate to organizations fighting this order in court
Amplify their messages on social media
Participate in public comments as federal agencies implement these changes
Document any cases of voter disenfranchisement in your community

Hope on the Horizon

Despite the gravity of this moment, I remain hopeful. Throughout our history, attacks on voting rights have often catalyzed movements for greater democracy.

When poll taxes were imposed, civil rights organizers responded by launching massive voter registration drives. When the Voting Rights Act was gutted by the Supreme Court, a new generation of voting rights advocates emerged.

This executive order may be designed to silence us, but it could just as easily ignite a powerful movement to protect and expand democracy.

Remember that demographic shifts cannot be stopped by executive orders. Our communities are growing, our young people are becoming politically engaged, and our cultural influence is undeniable. What we're witnessing is the desperate reaction of those who fear the America that is emerging—one that is multiracial, multilingual, and multicultural.

Nuestra hora está llegando. Our time is coming.

Supporting the Resistance

At Three Sonorans, we're committed to providing ongoing coverage of these attacks on democracy and highlighting the resistance. Your support enables us to continue this vital work:

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This moment calls for solidarity across communities. Indigenous, Black, Latino, Asian, and allied white communities must stand together against these attacks on our democracy.

The land we now call the United States was once entirely Indigenous territory. Our ancestors survived genocide, forced relocation, and systematic attempts to erase our cultures. Yet here we are, still standing, still fighting.

We will defend our right to have a voice in the future of this land—not just for ourselves, but for the seven generations to come.

Adelante, siempre adelante.
— Three Sonorans

What do you think about this executive order? Has your community experienced voter suppression tactics before, and how did you overcome them? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.